This course is a practical guide to prescribing and checking prescriptions in the UK for new starters and internationally educated professionals. It explains how to use the BNF, the conventions for writing safe prescriptions, the rules for controlled drugs, and how to use electronic prescribing systems without falling into their common traps, with worked examples throughout.
What you will learn
- Find and interpret key information in the BNF and BNF for Children, including doses, renal and hepatic adjustments, interactions and cautions.
- Write or check a prescription that follows UK conventions for drug names, doses, units, routes and frequencies.
- Describe the legal requirements for prescribing controlled drugs and the additional checks needed for high-risk medicines.
- Use electronic prescribing and medicines administration systems safely, recognising common errors such as wrong selection from drop-down lists and alert fatigue.
- Carry out an accurate medicines reconciliation on admission and recognise the role of pharmacists and non-medical prescribers in the team.
Course content
- Prescribing in the UK: who prescribes and what is expected (2 min)
- Using the BNF (3 min)
- Writing a safe prescription: UK conventions (3 min)
- Controlled drugs and high-risk medicines (3 min)
- Electronic prescribing and medicines administration (2 min)
- Questioning prescriptions and learning from errors (3 min)
- Medicines reconciliation and teamwork (3 min)
- Knowledge check (10 questions, 10 min)
- Guided reflection (15 min)
Standards and guidance covered
- GMC: Good practice in prescribing and managing medicines and devices
- Royal Pharmaceutical Society: A competency framework for all prescribers
- NMC: Standards for prescribing programmes and The Code (2015, updated 2018)
- GPhC: Standards for pharmacy professionals (2017)
- Royal Pharmaceutical Society and Royal College of Nursing: Professional guidance on the administration of medicines in healthcare settings
- The Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 (as amended) and NICE guideline NG46: Controlled drugs: safe use and management
Certificate
Courses are free to study. When you pass the knowledge check (80%) and complete your reflection, you can buy a verified certificate showing your CPD time, with a unique ID and QR code that anyone can check on our verification page.
Study free at your own pace on any device.
Practitioner Insight is an independent education provider. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the GMC, MPTS, NMC, HCPC, GPhC or any NHS organisation, and this information is not legal advice. If you have been referred to a regulator, speak to your defence organisation, trade union or legal representative.